Stand: 3:38 p.m.
Fans are looking forward to the European Championship finals – even Queen sends encouragement
50 games are history, one is still open. The European Championship final between England and Italy will take place at Wembley Stadium today. The English fans are hoping for the first big title since 1966. The Queen has also got in touch and encouraged the boys from coach Gareth Southgate.
England are about to win their first title in 55 years. But in Europe the team’s hearts don’t exactly fly. But on the contrary. In Scotland they already fear the boasting of their neighbors.
Mith the request to Italy to win the European Championship final against England, a Scottish newspaper generated mixed reactions. “The National”, which supports the independence of Scotland, featured the Italian national coach Roberto Mancini as Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace on the front cover of its issue in a picture reminiscent of Mel Gibson’s film “Braveheart”. “Save us, Roberto!” Wrote the newspaper from Glasgow with a view to the European Championship final on Sunday in London’s Wembley Stadium, “you are our last hope. We can’t stand another 55 years of them bragging about it. “
While many English took it with humor and saw it as ordinary football taunts, others reacted angrily and accused “The National” of increasing anti-English resentment in Scotland. Harry Cole, editor of the British tabloid “The Sun”, called it “sad” on Twitter. In Italy, on the other hand, Coach Mancini in Braveheart gear provided amusement.
Cover of “The National”
Quelle: The National
Mancini himself described the front page as “nice”, but didn’t want to go into further detail about whether he felt like “Braveheart” before the final: “I think we have to play our game.” Captain Giorgio Chiellini commented on the front page with a grin: “That made me laugh,” said the 36-year-old.
55 years ago England won the World Cup in 1966, the only title for the Three Lions so far. The Scots and the English have had a long rivalry in football, in which the untitled Bravehearts were often defeated in the past few decades. In the EM group stage, the teams separated 0-0. Scotland then dropped out. In fact, a majority of Scots should keep their fingers crossed for the Azzurri against their old rivals on Sunday.
English fair play? Oh well …
A trend that seems to run across Europe. The fact that England was awarded six home games by Uefa also contributes to this, as does the team’s staid football, the controversial penalty in the semifinals against Denmark and the behavior of the fans. The opponent’s anthems are consistently booed, and there were also laser point attacks on the Scandinavian players against Denmark. This tournament is not far from the much-vaunted English fair play.
In Italy, the newspapers see the final through their own glasses anyway. “Make them blue. Italy challenges England in the fight for Europe’s throne, ”was the headline of the“ Gazzetta dello Sport ”on Sunday. “In the temple of football, the dream of the Mancini country should come true,” wrote the paper, which looks ahead to the final on 39 pages.
Other sheets combined the European Championship final on their front pages with the final of the tennis tournament at Wimbledon, where Italy’s Matteo Berrettini previously challenged Novak Djokovic. “For you, for us! We want to see you again like this! Italy in the attack on the last challenge, “wrote Tuttosport, while the” Corriere dello Sport “demanded:” Such a great love. All together for Italy: First Berrettini in Wimbledon, then the European Championship final. “
The paper sees Italy in the “night of the most beautiful dreams” and also looks back: “Three years after the darkest moment in our football, the national team has the opportunity to crown an irresistible promotion and bring the trophy home for the first time since 1968. “And the“ Gazzetta dello Sport ”once again reminds us of the missed 2018 World Cup:“ From the great darkness into the final against England. The last obstacle on the way to the throne of Europe. “
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